The invention relates to an element comprising a layer structure bounded by two substantially parallel main faces, having at least two layers of mutually different magnetical behavior, the layer structure having a zone which, viewed in a direction parallel to the main faces, extends between spaced electric connection areas, in which zone a current5 directing means is present for producing, during current passage, a current component directed transversely to the layer structure.
Such an element is known as a magnetoresistive detector from U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,833. The known element comprises a stack of layers of different magnetical properties. The layer structure thus formed is present on a substrate and has two electrodes which are localized on two facing ends of the layer structure, The stack of layers is provided with one or more interruptions of electric conductance. These interruptions are obtained by locally performed etching operations in order to form a square-shaped structure in the zone between the electrodes. In this structure, the electric current is forced, during current passage, to pass the layers more or less perpendicularly.
A drawback of the known element is the method of its manufacture, notably because the formation of the square-shaped structure requires complicated etching processes.